Plastic particles and climate change as drivers for antimicrobial resistance

EU-funded research project deals with plastic pollution and the spread of antimicrobial resistance in aquatic systems

Grant and Award Announcement

HEIDELBERG UNIVERSITY

A research project based at Heidelberg University and Heidelberg University Hospital targets plastic particles and climate change as driving factors for the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment. The participating researchers will investigate socio-ecological interactions within aquatic habitats affected by plastic pollution, contamination with antibiotics and climatic influences, and explore environmental and health-related impacts in the context of Planetary Health. The project is led by Prof. Dr Joacim Rocklöv, Humboldt Professor at the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing and the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, and comprises eleven international partners, including the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in the Philippine Department of Health. The European Union is funding the four and a half-year international collaboration project with more than six million euros.

“Scientific research is needed to show evidence on how plastic pollution in bodies of water combined with antibiotic contaminants is contributing to antimicrobial resistance spreading in the environment, threatening the health of people, animals, and ecosystems – especially in times of climate change,” explains Prof. Rocklöv, who heads the Climate-Sensitive Infectious Diseases Lab (CSIDlab). Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are known to exist in the sea, in rivers, ponds or lakes, presenting a risk of infection, in particular for people who bathe in these waters with open wounds. At the same time, water environments are increasingly polluted by micro and macro plastic particles. “Bacteria can attach to the plastic particles, grow, and form entire colonies, creating a unique micro-ecosystem termed ‘the plastisphere’. The genes that the bacteria exchange can include those responsible for antibiotic resistance,” says Dr Marina Treskova, a junior research group leader at the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing who co-directs the research along with Prof. Rocklöv. Plastic particles in turn serve as vehicles, delivering bacteria from one point to another via hydrological processes.

According to Dr Treskova, climate change can further exacerbate the spread of antimicrobial resistance in aquatic environments, for instance through heavy rainfall or lack of rain. “To halt this negative process and to protect planetary health, we have to understand these processes and their interactions to find solutions for monitoring and prevention,” says the scientist. Wastewater treatment plants present an important study site for the researchers as they collect wastewater from cities, including hospitals, and accumulate antibiotics, bacteria, and plastic waste.

A main aspect of the research carried out in the context of the “Community-based engagement and intervenTions to stem the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the aqUatic environments catalysed by cLImate change and Plastic pollution interactions” (TULIP) project are social and political factors, in order to develop holistic countermeasures – including solutions inspired by nature itself. The research approach will be tested in the Philippines and in Italy. “With TULIP, we hope to gain not only scientifically sound insights into the interrelationship between plastic pollution, AMR, and climate change but also translate them into policy recommendations, community actions and societal knowledge. We will collect data on the ground but also apply computer models to develop indicators and decision-making tools,” states Joacim Rocklöv. The epidemiologist, mathematician, and statistician is investigating climate-sensitive infectious diseases and their impact on public health under changing climatic conditions – an interdisciplinary approach of paramount importance for medicine, healthcare, climate change research, and policy consultation.

The TULIP consortium took up its work at the beginning of this year. The Heidelberg researchers cooperate with project partners in the Philippines who play a major role in implementing and coordinating the scientific work and outreach activities. Also involved are experts from universities and research institutes, non-academic partners, small and medium-sized businesses, and non-governmental organisations from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, and Monaco. The European Union is funding the TULIP project within the framework of Horizon Europe; it is part of the EU Planetary Health cluster.

 

HKU Engineering team new microfluidic technique to measure elastic modulus of microfiber for wide biomedical engineering applications

I THOUGHT WE WERE ELIMINATING MICROFIBER BECAUSE IT BREAKS DOWN INTO MICROPLASTC NANOMATERIALS

THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

 

IMAGE: 

LEFT: APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MICROFIBERS ARE COLLECTED IN THE CONTAINER.
RIGHT: COILING OF A NONUNIFORM MICROFIBER WITH AXIALLY VARIED ELASTIC MODULUS. AS THE FIBER COILS IN THE MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE, IT FORMS A SPIRAL WITH A VARYING COILING RADIUS THAT REFLECTS THE LOCAL ELASTIC MODULUS. THE HIGHER THE LOCAL ELASTIC MODULUS, THE LARGER THE COILING RADIUS OF THAT SEGMENT. (PICTURES ARE REPRODUCED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE CC-BY LICENSE.) [PROC. NATL. ACAD. SCI. U.S.A. 121, E2303679121, 2024]

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CREDIT: THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

The new microfluidic technique was developed by Professor Anderson H. C. Shum and Dr Yuan Liu from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at HKU, in collaboration with Professor Howard A. Stone and Dr Janine K. Nunes, scientists from Princeton University, and Dr Jack H. Y. Lo from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

The findings have been  published in the prestigious scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) with the title “High-throughput measurement of elastic moduli of microfibers by rope coiling”.

The new approach eliminates the need for manual sample handling by utilising a quantitative correlation between elastic moduli and coiling radius. This enables the measurement of 3,300 fibres per hour, marking a substantial improvement over existing methods and providing a thousandfold increase compared to using a typical tensile tester. The breakthrough significantly reduces the time-consuming and skill-intensive process of sample loading and unloading, which is particularly beneficial for tiny, fragile samples, such as filamentous bacteria, actin filaments, DNA, carbon nanotubes, and functional microfibers.

"Our approach not only simplifies the testing process but also integrates the manufacturing and testing phases," said Professor Shum.

"With the inline measurement capabilities, which couple the ‘making of microfibers’ and the ’measurement of elastic modulus’ on the same process line, we can now measure the elastic modulus of every fibre immediately after production. This enables the immediate identification and correction of defects by adjusting process variables, such as UV intensity, in real-time. For instance, to maintain a constant modulus, a decrease in coiling radius downstream would trigger an increase in UV intensity upstream, serving as feedback mechanism to correct production faults. On the other hand, elastic moduli can also be controlled by the intensities of UV light, ensuring consistent product quality.” Professor Shum added.

Additionally, the method is non-destructive, eliminating the need to bond fibre ends to fixtures, as required in conventional tensile tests. This feature is especially advantageous when dealing with fibres that exhibit nonuniform elastic moduli, which traditionally require segmentation into multiple parts for individual assessment.

Looking forward, the team is optimistic about adapting this method for even smaller fibres, including those with submicron diameters such as DNA and actin filaments.

"Adjusting the microfluidic setup and fluid dynamics to accommodate smaller fibres present some technical challenges, but it is definitely feasible," said Dr Liu.

This work received support from the Research Impact Fund by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, with additional funding from the Health@InnoHK programme of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong SAR government, and the Croucher Senior Research Fellowship from Croucher Foundation.

For more details about the study, please visit the HKU Mechanical Engineering website at: https://www.mech.hku.hk/post/high-throughput-measurement-of-elastic-moduli-of-microfibers-by-rope-coiling.

Link to the paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2303679121

Media Enquiries:
Faculty of Engineering, HKU
Ms Christina Chung (Tel: 3910 3324; Email: chungmc@hku.hk) or
Ms Charis Lai (Tel: 3917 1924; Email: chariskc@hku.hk)

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DOI

10.1073/pnas.2303679121 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

High-throughput measurement of elastic moduli of microfibers by rope coiling

Camera tags capture social flexibility of Antarctic minke whales

TOO BAD THIS WON'T STOP JAPAN FROM HUNTING THEM FOR SUSHI

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: 

THE TEAM OF RESEARCHERS DEPLOYED TAGS TO THE ANTARCTIC MINKE WHALES THAT CAPTURED VIDEO AND AUDIO DURING THEIR INTERACTIONS.

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CREDIT: DAVE CADE

Researchers have conducted one of the first quantitative studies of social structure and social foraging in Antarctic minke whales (AMWs), using pioneering animal-borne camera tags.  

This study sheds light on the complex social and foraging behaviours of these elusive krill specialists within the fragile Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. 

The study was led by Dr Jenny Allen as a Griffith University Research Associate in collaboration with the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC).  Data were collected in 2018 and 2019 around the Western Antarctic Peninsula as part of a research grant from the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs to Dr Ari Friedlaender, a Professor in UCSC’s Ocean Sciences Department.   

The study is unique in its use of motion-sensing, video- and audio-recording tags deployed on Antarctic minke whales for the first time to study their ecological role through analysis of their diving, foraging, and social behaviours. 

Data analyses focused on the whales' diving, foraging, and social behaviours, providing fresh insights into their ecological roles. 

Findings from the study indicated that Antarctic minke whales exhibit a "fission-fusion" social structure, frequently switching companions.  

This social flexibility is similar to what is seen in several other baleen whale species. In 60.6% of cases, whales were observed forming short-term associations, engaging in both foraging and non-foraging activities.  

Larger individuals were more likely to socialise, and this social interaction correlated with a noticeable reduction in their feeding efforts, regardless of dive depth. 

Furthermore, the study documented 12 instances where tagged whales associated with each other in pairs or trios.  

These groups demonstrated synchronised spatial movement and diving behaviours, suggesting that Antarctic minke whales employed group foraging strategies.  

Specifically, 67.5% of associated dives and 64% of associated feeding lunges were synchronised. 

"These findings provide essential baseline information on the sociality and group foraging behaviours of Antarctic minke whales," Dr Allen said.  

"Understanding these patterns is crucial, especially as climate change continues to impact the Antarctic ecosystem." 

The study underscored the importance of Antarctic minke whales as top krill predators, highlighting their role within the ecosystem.  

The synchronised foraging behaviour observed suggested these whales might optimise their feeding efficiency through cooperation, a behaviour previously underappreciated in this species. 

"This study is fascinating because it provides new information on complex and dynamic social and behavioural patterns by an animal that until now we had very little information about", says Dr. Friedlaender the senior investigator on the project. 

This research not only enhanced our understanding of AMW social and foraging ecology but also encouraged the need for future studies aimed at more targeted investigations.  

Dr Allen is currently a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at UCSC within the Behavioural Ecology and Bio-Telemetry Laboratory and an Adjunct Researcher with Griffith University’s Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program.  

The study ‘Evidence of sociality and group foraging in Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)’ has been published in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, and was supported by the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs via grant nos. 1643877 and 1644209, and by World Wildlife Fund grants. P0710 and 0711-02. 

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JOURNAL

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

DOI

10.1007/s00265-024-03481-4 

ARTICLE TITLE

Evidence of sociality and group foraging in Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)

Childhood stress linked with earlier substance use in male and female teens

THE ENDOCRINE SOCIETY

BOSTON—Stress during childhood is associated with earlier substance use in male and female adolescents, according to a study presented Saturday at ENDO 2024, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Boston, Mass. Traumatic events may increase substance use risk for males, while environmental stress and early puberty may increase the risk for females, the researchers found.

Early life stress is children’s experiences of abuse, neglect and conflict. Approximately 20% of adolescents in the United States have experienced early life stress at some point, and these experiences influence adolescent and adult health behavior outcomes.

“Starting substance use at an earlier age is associated with more severe substance use disorder in adulthood,” said lead researcher Alexandra Donovan, Ph.D., of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, Calif.  “Early life stress and early puberty have both been associated with early substance use, but it wasn’t clear whether these connections are the same across boys and girls.”

Donovan and colleagues evaluated sex differences in the impact of puberty and stress on alcohol, nicotine and cannabis use by the age of 13. They analyzed data from 8,608 male and female participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, who were 9 or 10 years old when the study began. The study included data from the first three years of the ABCD study.

The researchers looked at the effects of early life stress and found it increased the likelihood of earlier use of alcohol, nicotine or cannabis use across both males and females.

Early life stress increased the likelihood of earlier substance use for males by 9-18% and for females by 13-20%.  Environmental stress increased the likelihood of early use of nicotine and cannabis in females by 15-24%. Traumatic event stress increased the likelihood in males by 15-16%. Higher pubertal development scores increased the likelihood of earlier nicotine use for females while decreasing the likelihood for males.

“Our study supports the link between early life stress and teen substance use, extending our understanding of how this connection can differ across sex,” Donovan said. “These findings may be used to refine prevention programs in schools, encouraging a more individualized approach.”

# # #

Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.

 

Bird flu: diverse range of vaccines platforms “crucial” for enhancing human pandemic preparedness

New study launches following the discovery of a second case of avian influenza spreading from cows to humans

TAYLOR & FRANCIS GROUP

Vaccination remains the most effective strategy for avian influenza prevention and control in humans, despite varying vaccine efficacy across strains.

That’s according to the authors of a new review which delves into existing research into bird flu vaccines for humans.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, the results of the paper are particularly timely following news last week (Wednesday 22nd May) that the bird flu strain H5N1 had once again, for a second time, jumped from cattle in America to a human – prompting fears of subsequent human-to-human infection, with possible critical consequences.

Instances of the avian influenza were first recognized in US cattle in March. Since then, this strain has mainly spread from cow-to-cow and scientists have discovered very high levels of virus in raw milk (pasteurized milk is safe, having shown viral RNA but not infectious virus). To-date two people, however, are known to have contracted the bird flu virus. Both patients – US farmers – only reported eye symptoms and with treatment they made a full recovery.

Following tests on the first human instance, it was seen that the strain had mutated to be better adapted to mammalian cells, but as long as that human didn’t pass it onto another person it likely stopped the spread at that point.  
With the second case, the CDC has released a statement to say it has been monitoring influenza surveillance systems intently, especially in impacted states. “There has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people, including in syndromic surveillance,” they report.

The concern now, though, is that if H5N1 continues to be given the environment in which to mutate (such as in close quarter cattle farms) – and this continues long enough – it has the potential to find a combination that will easily spread to humans.

The results of this new research, carried out by a team at the University of Georgia, USA, suggests vaccines still remain our “primary defense” against potential spread of avian influenzas such as the H5N1 and others assessed.

“The H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 subtypes of avian influenza virus pose a dual threat, not only causing significant economic losses to the global poultry industry but also presenting a pressing public health concern due to documented spillover events and human cases,” explains lead author Flavio Cargnin Faccin, who alongside his mentor Dr. Daniel Perez of the University of Georgia, USA, analyzed the current landscape of research into human vaccines for these bird flus.

“This deep delve into the landscape of avian influenza vaccines for humans shows vaccination remains the primary defense against the spread of these viruses.”

The team examined studies of vaccines tested in mice, ferrets, non-human primates, and clinical trials of bird flu vaccines in humans, and assessed both established platforms and promising new directions.

The review carried out suggests inactivated vaccines are a safe and affordable option that primarily activate humoral immunity – the part of our immune system that produces antibodies.

Live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs) are known to induce a wider immune response than inactivated vaccines, activating not only antibody production but also mucosal and cellular defenses. In this review, the authors suggest this broader response may offer greater protection, though, the authors suggest further research is needed to fully understand and harness its potential benefits for both human and agricultural applications.

The review also examined alternatives, such as virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines and messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, that have emerged more recently. Although VLP vaccines for bird flu have limited clinical trial data in humans, results from studies in mice and ferrets showed promise, the authors found. mRNA vaccines against H5N1 and H7N9 bird flu subtypes also generated a rapid and strong immune response in mice and ferrets, and, while data in humans is scarce, results from a phase 1 study of an H7N9 mRNA vaccine in healthy humans were “encouraging”.

Overall, the team suggests “exploring and employing a diverse range of vaccine platforms”, will be “crucial for enhancing pandemic preparedness and mitigating the threat of avian influenza viruses”.

 

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JOURNAL

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

DOI

10.1080/21645515.2024.2347019 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Literature review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Pandemic preparedness through vaccine development for avian influenza viruses

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

29-May-2024

Marine Protected Areas don’t line up with core habitats of rare migratory fish, finds new research

BRITISH ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY

 

IMAGE: 

ALLIS SHAD (ALOSA ALOSA).

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CREDIT: ELLIOTT ET AL.

62% of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) designated to protect rare migratory fish species are outside of their core habitats, according to a new modelling study. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology.

A team of researchers in France from the “Pole MIAME” that gathers diadromous fish experts from multiple research institutions (OFB, INRAE, Institut Agro and UPPA) have developed a new modelling approach that accurately predicts core and unsuitable habitats of rare and data-poor diadromous fish (fish which migrate between marine and freshwater), such as threatened shads and the IUCN red-listed ‘critically endangered’ European eel.

The researchers found that 62% of MPAs which are specifically meant to protect diadromous fish species, don’t overlap with the core habitats of the fish modelled in the study.

In fact, only 55% of the modelled core habitats of diadromous fish fell within any MPAs, and of these protected areas, only had half had specific measures to protect the species.

When looking at individual species, the researchers found that less than 30% of the endangered Mediterranean twaite shad (Alosa agone) core habitat was within MPAs.

Although other species such as European eel and European smelt had around 70% of their core habitats within MPAs, only 9% of these MPAs have specific measures to protect the European eel, and none had specific measures to protect European smelt.

Dr Sophie Elliott at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (previously at Institute Agro in France) and lead author of the study, said “Given the sharp decline in diadromous fish which was noted just last week by The Living Planet Index (LPI) for migratory freshwater fishes 2024 update, it is a surprise more isn't being done to protect these species.

“We found that existing Marine Protected Areas with and without measures to protect listed diadromous fish across France, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands are not adequately protecting them despite a number of these fish being protected.”

Dr Anthony Acou, at the French Biodiversity Agency and Patrinat, in charge of diadromous fish evaluation for the EU MSFD (Marine Strategy Framework Directive), and a co-author of the study, added that “Due to a lack of data on rare species, spatial protective measures are often implemented with little understanding of the species distribution and habitat (‘the rare species paradox’).”

Dr Laurent Beaulaton, also at the French Biodiversity Agency, and a co-author said “We hope that our ‘Combined Model for Accurate Prediction’ methodological framework can help improve accurate rare species distribution modelling for reliable biodiversity assessments, meaning conservation measures can be targeted in specific areas that protect rare and poorly detected species while also minimising conservation impacts on human activity.”

The researchers tested their newly developed modelling approach on diadromous fish because very little is known about their at-sea life history stage and there is no existing model of their distribution.

These types of fish are also sensitive to anthropogenic pressures. Dr Sophie Elliott explained that “Diadromous fish species are particularly threatened because they are subject to terrestrial, freshwater, and marine pressures such as agricultural and pollutant runoffs, habitat destruction, barriers to migration, fishing, bycatch, and climate change. These barriers cumulate through their life cycle as they travel between their freshwater and marine habitats.”

To test the accuracy of their new modelling approach, the researchers collated an unprecedented amount of data on fisheries-dependent and independent data within eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean waters, focussing on 11 rare and data-poor diadromous fish including the European eel, European flounder, smelt and three species of shad and the thinlip mullet. They then compared the predicted core and unsuitable habitats for the fish against 89 OSPAR and habitat Directive MPAs found in these waters.

The researchers would now like to see their modelling approach expanded to larger areas across the Northeast Atlantic and look closer at habitat types. “The next step is to better characterise at-sea functional habitats (migratory corridor, nursery area, refuge area) of the different species. But for that additional data are needed…” added Dr Etienne Rivot, a population modelling expert at DECOD (Ecosystem Dynamics and Sustainability), L’Institut Agro, INRAE, Ifremer, and a co-author of the study.

The researchers also highlight that the modelling approach could be used for other protected, threatened and usually rare species, particularly for species where protected areas have been put in place for their conservation.

- Ends -

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JOURNAL

Journal of Applied Ecology

DOI

10.1111/1365-2664.14664 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

ARTICLE TITLE

Accurately predicting rare and poorly detectable species habitat for spatial protection

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

29-May-2024

Study finds environmental conditions influenced how early humans migrated across northern Eurasia and the Americas beyond Africa

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: 

THE INFOGRAPHIC SHOWS THE ROUTES MOST LIKELY FAVOURED BY THE FIRST HUMAN MIGRANTS ACROSS EURASIA AND THE AMERICAS. THESE ROUTES ARE ESTIMATED USING A STATISTICAL COMBINATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND GENETIC DATA. COLOURED AREAS INDICATE THE TYPE OF ECOSYSTEMS ENCOUNTERED, BASED ON CLIMATE AND VEGETATION MODELS. THE INSET IMAGE ILLUSTRATES THE IDEAL MIGRATION CONDITIONS: WARM AND HUMID AREAS CONTAINING A MIX OF FOREST AND GRASSLANDS NEAR RIVERS.

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CREDIT: FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

Study finds environmental conditions influenced how early humans migrated across northern Eurasia and the Americas beyond Africa

Researchers have gleaned new insights into the great human migration, revealing how environmental conditions in northern Eurasia and the Americas shaped the journey of ancestors who left Africa tens of thousands of years ago.

The Out of Africa theory suggests that more than 70,000 years ago, some groups left Africa to spread across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. However, it remains unclear how much the environment they encountered beyond Africa facilitated or hindered their journey.

Researchers combined climate models, genetic data, and archaeological evidence to examine how regional environmental conditions influenced migration and to re-establish our long-lasting connection to nature. 

The multidisciplinary analysis, led by Flinders University ecologist Dr Frédérik Saltré and recently published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that while the relative importance of environmental factors varies across regions, our ancestors travelled primarily through warm and humid areas containing a mix of forest and grasslands near rivers.  

“The first human migrants favoured routes that provided essential resources and facilitated travel, as well as regions with a mix of forests and open areas for shelter and food, while allowing them to expand into new territories,” Dr Saltré, whose study was supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), said.

In Europe, humans likely first spread from the Fertile Crescent through the Caucasus Mountains into Scandinavia approximately 48,300 years ago and Western Europe around 44,100 years ago, following warmer and wetter conditions. 

In northern Asia, migration routes followed major rivers to cope with harsher climates before reaching Beringia, a currently submerged land bridge between Siberia and Alaska, approximately 34,700 years ago. 

In North America, humans initially migrated along the Pacific coast around 16,000 years ago, and then approximately 3000 years later, moved inland through the ice-free corridor by the Mackenzie River. 

In South America, migration followed wetter grasslands bordering the Amazon, leveraging connectivity provided by major rivers by 14,800 years ago.

Professor Tom Higham of the University of Vienna said the power of these new modelling approaches in understanding the deep human past is exciting for archaeological science.

“For too long we have been working rather separately in our different approaches. Incorporating new modelling methods with the latest climatic, archaeological, and environmental data allows really exciting insights into understanding how ancient humans moved and adapted across vast continents tens of thousands of years ago.” 

Professor Corey Bradshaw, also from Flinders University and a Chief Investigator at CABAH, said modelling provides a powerful framework for exploring and understanding the complexities of deep history, offering insights into how past events and conditions have shaped the present.

“Knowing where people first trekked beyond the cradle of human evolution gives us a flavour of how adaptable our early ancestors were, what environmental challenges they faced, and how they overcame them and survived. We can also infer the technological innovations that were at play during those times—such as watercraft, clothing, and other tools—that allowed people to exploit the most hostile environments.”

Associate Professor Bastien Llamas from The University of Adelaide and a Deputy Director in CABAH said merging genetic data with historical climate information and archaeological discoveries is a powerful method for inferring past human migration patterns.

“Studying genetic differences between groups of people helps us understand ancient migration patterns. Typically, this results in a basic map showing general movements from one area to another without detailed routes. However, by combining genetic data with information about past climates, environments, and archaeological findings, we can create much more detailed and accurate maps of how people moved over time and across different regions.” 

Dr Saltré said the study’s results help us appreciate the importance of biodiversity in how our ancestors adapted to and overcame environmental challenges. 

“It underscores how climate and ecology shaped human prehistory, highlighting biodiversity's role in human survival and mobility, demonstrating that rich ecosystems enabled humans to thrive in new environments for thousands of years. The biodiversity crisis that we are experiencing now compromises our ability to thrive. Despite the advanced technology we have today, I genuinely wonder if we will last long without maintaining the bulk of current biodiversity.”

 

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-48762-8 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Environmental conditions associated with initial northern expansion of anatomically modern humans

WAIT, WHAT?!

The Jackson Laboratory creates mice that better reflect human genetic variation

The Jackson Laboratory and colleagues create new wild-derived mice that could make it easier to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of new treatments or pharmaceuticals on humans

JACKSON LABORATORY

 

IMAGE: 

BETH DUMONT, AN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST AT THE JACKSON LABORATORY, RESEARCHES THE MECHANISMS THAT GENERATE GENETIC DIVERSITY THROUGH THE LENS OF EVOLUTION.

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CREDIT: THE JACKSON LABORATORY

The great majority of how we understand human disease, and attempt to cure it, derives from mice genetically fashioned to be prolific breeders, docile and easy to handle – all qualities that have made it the favorite tool of large-scale biomedical research. However, this human-imposed selection of these behavioral and reproductive traits has come at a hefty cost: By weeding out undesirable traits in the highly standardized laboratory mouse, researchers have also placed unseen constraints on what is possible to know and learn from them.

Beth Dumont, an evolutionary biologist at The Jackson Laboratory, and colleagues are looking to remedy this situation. By collecting mice in their natural habitats, in fields, barns and forests, and in divergent ecological niches (polar, tropical, and arid climates) across North and South America, Dumont and colleagues have developed 10 new laboratory-grade research mouse strains with genomes packed with information that had been stamped out of classical mice.

These new mouse strains, detailed recently in PLoS Genetics, will provide an important new resource for researchers worldwide: Their genomes introduce millions of novel genetic variants compared to classical in-bred strains, including predicted versions of a gene that, on average, decreases the fitness of the organism carrying it, and gene-spanning structural variants, including loss of DNA, duplicated DNA, and detached chromosomes that reattach in the opposite direction – all genetic profiles that better reflect human genetic variation.  

“Since the early 1900s, we’ve actively removed a lot of genetic information from laboratory mice that is incredibly relevant to human health,” said Dumont. “We’ve bred out traits that relate to anxiety, aggressiveness, and infertility, for instance, and that means we’re missing out on a wealth of potentially transformative biomedical research, making it much harder to determine how effectively new treatments or pharmaceuticals will work in humans.”

Dumont and her colleague, Professor Michael W. Nachman at the University of California, Berkeley and teams of graduate students went to work. They collected – with some difficulty – wild mice across five locations in Canada, the United States, and Brazil. These wild mice, which all belonged to a single mouse subspecies (M. musculus domesticus; important because they can all interbred, which is not necessarily the case with all genetically diverse mice) looked very different from laboratory mice, having experienced adaptive pressures to survive and thrive in their respective environments. For example, mice from Canada were bigger and had high metabolic activity to stay warm in a colder climate; mice from Brazil were smaller and their metabolism was radically different, indicating that mice collected in Brazil were uniquely adapted to a hot climate.

Dumont, Nachman and colleagues meticulously inbred these mice for 20 generations to eliminate deleterious genes while imposing very minimal selection for docile behavior and/or reproductive output. Dumont then re-derived these mice via IVF to prevent the introduction of wild pathogens, making them now suitable for laboratory use.

If you can catch them. That is, the new strains are also noticeably feistier. 

“They’re fast, and they don’t want you to hold them,” said Dumont. “I haven’t been bitten, but working with them does require quick reflexes.” 

The wild-derived laboratory strains showed variation in phenotypic traits beyond size and speed. The introduction of millions of genetic variants captured broad variations across many biological domains. Their biochemical, neurobehavioral, physiological, morphological, and metabolic traits differed much more broadly than those in inbred laboratory mice, more accurately modeling the complex genetic basis of human disease-related phenotypes.

“Tapping into wild strains has the potential to establish a powerful suite of resources for the modeling of human traits and diseases, enabling important discoveries across pretty much every disease area,” said Dumont. “As researchers start to recognize that, we’ll see increasing interest in wild-derived lab mice.” 

 

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JOURNAL

PLoS Genetics

DOI

10.1101/2023.09.21.558738 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Into the Wild: A novel wild-derived inbred strain resource expands the genomic and phenotypic diversity of laboratory mouse models